Arms collection: 2,000 illegal vehicles seized in West Darfur

Police and security have seized 2,000 unlicensed vehicles without number plates in West Darfur, the weapons collection committee announced on Thursday.

State Governor Fadlelmowla El Haja also announced the launch of the phase of forced collection of illegal weapons and unlicensed vehicles as of Wednesday.

El Haja called on all people who are in the possession of arms, to hand them over to the nearest location of Sudan regular forces. “Those who have been arrested at the time of inspections will face the legal procedures that are stipulated in the laws.”

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, one of the owners of the unlicensed vehicles said that the authorities handed the owners receipts for the vehicles. “They will notify us later of what action they would take towards the vehicles in question.

The vehicles are held in the 15th Infantry of the Sudanes emilitary. “Most of them are Vesto, Atos and Klick vehicles,” he added.

In West Darfur, El Geneina locality alone collected 2,500 firearms by the first of October. 

Arms collection

In July, Khartoum announced a large disarmament campaign in the country, to begin with in Darfur and Kordofan. RSF militia and the army began collecting illegal arms and unlicensed vehicles from civilians in the regions the following month.

On 30 October, First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hasan Saleh announced the end of the voluntary handing in of their weapons and the start of the forced collection. 

Darfuri government officials reported that 30,000 weapons have been collected during the voluntary phase. The number of illegal weapons in the region is estimated at about 700,000 pieces.